Regular and high-powered*1 contributor to the depth of telegraphic wisdom that makes up these society pages - is our old friend Carter Wall (#0487H). Carter tells us she has decamped to Florida for her Yuletide felicitations - and if I had not got a grip of myself and not finally got around to posting this now it would have seemed hopelessly anachronistic. As it is, 1st Jan is still officially Crimbo. Anyway...

We have decamped to sunny Florida for the holidays, and got here in time to catch the town's very home-made Christmas parade, which features everything from the high school marching band to the local dentist dressed as Santa, driving his Corvette. My hands down favorite in the parade, and I am sure that of any other TPASers*2 in the crowd, was the local electric utility's float, which featured two telegraph poles, complete with hardware. First time I've seen a pole with fairy lights! Merry Christmas to you all!

Cater signed off with "Sent from my mobile - please pardon any typos". Well of course I will - I'm not the sort to hold grudges. Typos, you are forgiven. *1 Did you see what I did there? Oh goodness me, I'm just so sharp! *2 Yes, this definitely would be a favourite.

Ray Newman would have sent us these fine pictures of Telegraph Pole Finials much sooner, only he tells us he has been the victim of a dental extraction which went terribly wrong. For Ray’s dentist had got things completely back to front – instead of taking Ray’s teeth out – he accidentally fitted a handful of teeth IN to Ray’s already full mouth. So the poor chap has been walking the streets of Bishopstone, Herne Bay smiling and beaming at everyone, in a desperate attempt to use up this excess in superfluous dental accoutrements.

Anyway, he’s nearly back to a regular grin now, thankfully, and has been taking the time to look skywards at telegraph pole adornments: Herewith two pictures of a pole with Owl shaped finial – presumably, together with the bird spikes intended to ward off birds – with limited success if picture #1 is anything to go by. Ray has also come up against the age old telegraph pole appreciators’ exposure problem: photographing them against a bright sky – a problem he seems almost to have overcome by the third picture which shows a handsome wooden finial.

John Brunsden (#0469H) has an advantage over we mere mortal telegraph pole appreciators insomuch as he is a professional ascender and mender of said grounded perpendicular appendages. And we're always extremely grateful for his updates from the field. Accepting that he gets first pick of the most somethingest of all telegraph poles and is finely tuned to looking at them anyway, there is still plenty of scope for the rest of us to pick up the gauntlet he has hereby thrown down to us. Namely, his entries to most leaning pole, and also thinnest pole (at just 3" diameter). Anyway, here's what he had to say.

Had to go and look at a leaning pole in a garden this afternoon (photo enclosed) and thought this could be the start of "the pole with the most degrees of lean" competition? Anyway, on the way there, I passed these lovely 3 in a row, 1942, tiny 18ft "extra" light poles, which they say were probably put up by land girls back in the day! Sadly all were "D" poles, so I guess not long for this world... I duly submit pole 1 of these as my entry to "the thinnest pole" competition ! Happy Christmas John

And a happy November first, then Christmas, to you too John ;-)

Meanwhile, whilst we've never had a thinnest pole before, we have had a couple of leaners - namely <here> and <here>. The latter of which was my own. Oh, and does <this one> count?

Your telegraph poles are on the way...

Not to be outleaned, Mike Donnithorne (#0597) sent us this picture of her indoors - not only sprouting leaves but as a delightful foreground to some sort* of leaning pole. This, from the mists of time, somewhere near Banbury he thinks.

Special thanks to (#0620) John Cranston for this wonderfully atmospheric shot. With a backdrop of 152 searchlights, it was taken 80 years ago this month and the light is coming from a live gig at the Nuremberg Stadium featuring the top act of 1936, Hitler and the Nazis.